Yokohama F. Marinos surged closer to the J. League top-flight championship on Saturday, sinking Nagoya Grampus 4-0 and opening an eight-point gap over title rivals Kawasaki Frontale, who lost 4-3 away to Consadole Sapporo after being reduced to 10 men.
Kota Mizunuma led the way with a brace for the visiting Marinos, scoring in the 16th and 46th minutes at Toyota Stadium. Sitting on 62 points with four rounds remaining, Kevin Muscat's side is on the cusp of the club's first J1 crown since 2019, when another Australian manager, now-Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou, steered them to the title.
"With not many games left, all (games are) important, but for me what is more important is the performance," said Muscat, whose team dominated possession and used the breadth of the pitch to create a host of chances on the break.